AIDS By Brandon p. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The illness interferes with the immune system making people with AIDS much more likely to get infections, including opportunistic infections and tumors that do not affect people with working immune systems.

SYMPTOMS Symptoms. People infected with HIV eventually develop symptoms that also may be caused by other, less serious conditions. With HIV infection, however, these symptoms are prolonged and often more severe. They include enlarged lymph glands, tiredness, fever, loss of appetite and weight, diarrhea, yeast infections of the mouth and vagina, and night sweats.

PICTURES

TREATMENT Diagnosis. Tests for detecting evidence of HIV-1 in the blood became widely available in Tests for detecting HIV-2 became widely available in These HIV tests identify antibodies to the AIDS virus. Antibodies are proteins produced by certain white blood cells to react with viruses or other invaders that enter the body. The presence of antibodies to HIV indicates infection with that virus. There is also an oral test for HIV-1 antibodies in mouth fluids.

PREVENTION Prevention. To prevent transmission of HIV, a person must avoid sexual contact with anyone who is or might be infected with the virus. The most effective preventive strategies are to refrain from all sexual intimacy or restrict sexual intimacy to one uninfected person. Health authorities recommend that a condom be used every time sexual intercourse occurs with a person who is infected with HIV or whose infection status is unknown. Drug users should seek help to stop taking drugs. They should never share hypodermic needles, syringes, or other injection equipment. Research has shown that AZT reduces the risk of transmission from an infected woman to her baby. Physicians administer AZT and other antiviral drugs to HIV- infected women during pregnancy and labor, and to their newborn babies. Doctors advise HIV-infected women not to breast-feed.

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